But I Smile Anyway…

What a thrill to be able to help spread the word about a fabulous book!

I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for Geraldine Verne’s Red Suitcase, the second novel by Jane Riley, and after reading the blurb, I jumped at the chance!

Here’s the Blurb

His dying wish was to set her free. So why does she feel so trapped?

Jack had two dying wishes: that his wife scatter his ashes somewhere ‘exotic’, and that she not give up on life once he was gone. He intended to spur her on to new adventures, but despite clinging to her red suitcase, Geraldine Verne hasn’t left the house for three months.

It takes an accident for Geri to accept help from her friends, but when Meals on Wheels arrive she is mortified. Yet heartbroken volunteer Lottie brings with her more than cottage pie and custard. Like Geri, she too is struggling to cut loose.

As a gloriously unlikely friendship blossoms, Geraldine begins to feel a long-lost spark of life and a newfound confidence. Perhaps what both women needed most, after all, was each other.

Geraldine Verne’s Red Suitcase by Jane Riley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was thrilled to be asked to read an arc of Jane Riley’s second, book, not least because the blurb hooked me right away.
The grief of losing someone is intense, and we all deal with that grief in different ways.
Geraldine Verne, or Geri to her friends, is floundering. She is lost without her soulmate, Jack.
Upon his passing and subsequent cremation, she finds herself unable to let go of his ashes, and rather than display the urn on her mantlepiece, as some do, she finds solace in wrapping Jack up in special mementoes and placing him in a red suitcase they used to travel with, using it as both a physical and emotional crutch.
An accident forces her to rethink her ideas, as she is suddenly in need of help. More help than ashes and a wheelie suitcase can provide her.
My heart went out to Geri. A woman in her later years, with nothing more than her husband’s remains, and his collection of butterflies as her support.
The way she shut everyone out, in order to wallow in her grief, really hit home with me.
But I loved the way her saviour came in the form of a Meals on Wheels volunteer, and now, despite their age difference, and background, they actually helped one another accept the way their lives were going to be.
Grief can hit us duer to the loss of a loved one, who has passed away, as well as one who has left us and our life, whilst still living theirs, and this book explores that whole topic in a very sensitive, yet entertailing way.

Hi, I’m Jane Riley!

I was born and raised in New Zealand. After graduating from Auckland University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in French and English literature, I headed to Europe to practise my French, got waylaid in Germany and ended up in Australia.

I have had a varied career in public relations, publishing, freelancing as a writer and editor, and launching an online e-commerce business, which involved writing a design blog interviewing makers and creators. When The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock was published, I achieved my dream of becoming a full-time author.

I live in Sydney with my husband, an energetic but scared-of-heights Australian cattle dog-staffy cross, and two daughters old enough to not be living at home anymore. I volunteer as an English language tutor for the Adult Migrant English Program, am learning the piano and teaching myself Italian.

You can find me on Twitter @JaneRileyAuthor.